


Drive All Night (Just South of Knowing Why)

by supermariogirl



Series: SU Reader Inserts [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Driving, Multi, Polyamory, Reader Insert, Unreleased Fic, Written in 2018, liminal spaces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27157823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supermariogirl/pseuds/supermariogirl
Summary: “If I could drive all nightWould I find my peace of mind?Would it be a million miles of cold white lights?Or unfamiliar exit signsI just drive on byJust south of knowing why...”-Taylor Swift, Just South of Knowing WhyReader takes a drive to calm down, but soon their small trip turns into a seemingly endless affair when strange things start happening.Previously unreleased fanfic written in late 2018.
Relationships: Aquamarine (Steven Universe)/Reader, Aquamarine/Navy (Steven Universe), Aquamarine/Navy/White Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), Aquamarine/White Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), Navy (Steven Universe)/Reader, Navy/White Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), White Diamond’s Pearl/Reader(Steven Universe)
Series: SU Reader Inserts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1155911
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Drive All Night (Just South of Knowing Why)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. Wow. This was long overdue. 
> 
> In case you didn’t read the summary, this fic is pretty old. I started writing it back in September 2018, then it got lost when my old phone broke and everything on it went bye bye, then I started rewriting it in November. I can’t remember when I finished it. It was either December 2018 or January 2019. Either way, this was written in a time before Future, before the movie, even before Diamond Days/Change Your Mind. Hence why there’s no Bluebird or why Volleyball is still “White Pearl”. It’s an interesting look into the past, back during the “Evil Space Trio” days. And with everything going on now, I feel like it would be the perfect time to unveil this lost relic.
> 
> Why didn’t I release it sooner? Well, it was supposed to be a part of my Taylor Swift song themed SU reader insert series as the 30th chapter special. Every 10th chapter was supposed to be based off a rare/unreleased song. Unfortunately it’s been a while since I updated that fic(Since January 2019 we’ve gotten not one, but TWO new Taylor Swift albums since then.) At some point I wanna pick that series up again buutttt I’m kinda focused on my big AU series at the moment.
> 
> I did share this ages ago on one of my Tumblr blogs and in some Discord servers, but now it’s finally getting an official Ao3 release! I’ll stop talking now and drop the chapter.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

You threw yourself onto the bed in frustration. Everything had been going wrong the past week, and today was the straw that broke the camel’s back.   
  
The person you thought was your best and only friend had betrayed you at work, embarrassing you in front of all your coworkers. It wasn’t your fault, really, but now you were afraid that you might get fired because of it.    
  
All these emotions were raging inside you, but all you could do was just cry yourself to sleep. Luckily for you, your cat Bendy jumped up onto your bed, offering some comfort. He sat down next to you, purring as you began to pet him. At least he understood you.   
  
What were you going to do now? You wouldn’t have to go to work until Monday, so you had the whole weekend to prepare for what would be a dreaded confrontation between you and your so-called friend. And you hated confrontation, so you had no clue how you were going to show your face at work now.   
  
You looked down at your wrist. You were still wearing the bracelet they gave you when you were 17. Red, cyan, and white plastic beads, looking at it now upset you. But you couldn’t bring yourself to rip it off.   
  
Unable to think, you decided to go to sleep, hoping you’d be able to figure something out in the morning.    
  
You crawled under the covers and let sleep overcome you, Bendy resting his head against your leg.   


* * *

By the time you woke up, it was only five in the morning, right as the sun was about to rise. Unfortunately, this nap didn’t really do much to ease the pain except distract you a little. Bendy was still fast asleep, so you moved slowly in order to avoid waking up.    
  
As you got up, you noticed your car keys sitting at the edge of your desk. This gave you an idea: maybe a long drive would help calm you down? A quick getaway to a nearby town, perhaps.   
  
Quickly and quietly getting dressed and making yourself look decent, you grabbed your keys and headed out the door. But before you did, you decided to bring Bendy along. He liked car rides, so you picked him up and held him in your arms.   
  
Walking outside, you were greeted by a calm look at the neighborhood. It was so peaceful this time of day. You stepped into the car and started it, placing Bendy down in the seat next to you.   
  
As you drove away, you didn’t even look back as you moved further and further away from your house.   


* * *

You had been on the road for about half an hour before you found yourself on the highway. You didn’t mean to go this far, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.   
  
It did become a bigger deal, however, when you realized that you were lost.    
  
The next ten minutes were spent trying to get out of the highway, but it seemed like it stretched on for miles. Bendy didn’t seem to mind, though. He was curled up in the seat relaxing.   
  
Luckily, it didn’t take long for you to find a rest stop. Maybe they’d have a map or something or at least someone to give you directions.    
  
You weren’t the only person to have that idea, though. When you arrived at the rest stop, the place was packed. Almost every parking space was full, as though everyone was going somewhere. It was summer, after all.   
  
You managed to find a parking space and parked your car. Not wanting to leave Bendy in the hot car, you decided to smuggle him inside your purse, something you had become very good at ever since you had him.   
  
“Be quiet.” you told him as you walked inside.   


* * *

To your surprise, the rest stop was completely empty, not a single soul inside. There was a strange feeling about this place that you couldn’t describe, but it made you feel uneasy. A popular song was playing on the loudspeaker, but it was a weird instrumental version. Bendy remained tucked into your purse, hidden from sight.   
  
You looked around, wondering where everyone had gone. Surely with a parking lot that crowded, there would at least be several people walking around. Something was definitely wrong here.   
  
Your thoughts were interrupted when you saw a cashier at the register, waiting patiently.   
  
”Excuse me?” you asked. She looked up at you.   
  
”Hello!” she smiled. ”I didn’t see you there.” The cashier was a short woman with brown skin, a dark brown afro, and a red work shirt. She even had a little pink flower in her hair.    
  
”Nice to meet you, I’m _.” you greeted.   
  
She giggled. ”That’s a pretty name, _.” You blushed a bit.   
  
”Thank you.” you told her. ”I’m afraid I’ve gotten lost.”   
  
”Oh? Is that so?” she responded.   
  
”Yes.” you replied. ”I traveled a little too far and I don’t know where I am. Do you have directions, or at least a map?”   
  
”Of course we do!” she exclaimed. She seemed rather cheery, perhaps a bit too cheery. Something about it didn’t seem natural to you. She pulled out a brochure from behind the counter. ”We all go a little too far sometimes. I’d be careful if I were you~”   
  
Something about what she said sent chills down your spine. “Well, thanks for the map. I better get going before anything happens.”   
  
“You’ll be just fine. Good luck!” she waved. You quickly walked out of there, a feeling of nervousness washing over you.   


* * *

When you exited the building, you were shocked to discover that the parking lot was almost completely empty. Not only that, but the sun was beginning to set! How long had you been in there?   
  
Now there were were only three other cars in the parking lot besides your own. Red, cyan, and white, they were right next to each other. You weren’t sure how a building that large only needed three employees. Perhaps it was a carpool, you thought.   
  
As you got into the car, you opened the map only to find that it was in a different language. It wasn’t one you recognized, however. Made up of strange symbols, completely illegible to you.   
  
You thought about maybe going back to the cashier to get another pamphlet in English, but you decided against it. After that encounter, it was best to just try to figure things out on your own.   
  
Wait a minute.... your phone! Didn’t it have a GPS? You could have used that from the start!   
  
Rushing to get your phone from your purse, you turned it on only to find that the battery was completely dead. That can’t be, you swore you charged it before you left.   
  
You sighed. It looked like you were going to have to find your way out of this area yourself.   


* * *

It had been a while since you had left the rest stop. It was already night time, and you were starting to get worried. You tried to turn on the radio to calm yourself down, but all the stations seemed to be nothing but static.   
  
It seemed as though you were nowhere near your hometown, or even any place that was familiar to you. None of the road signs made any sense. Hell, you never left the highway to begin with.    
  
The strangest thing was, however, was that there wasn’t a single car on the highway except yours. The last time you saw any cars was at the rest stop. In fact, ever since you entered that building, you’ve had the lingering feeling something was wrong.   
  
Your thoughts were interrupted when you saw a tall, pale woman in a flowing white gown in the middle of the road. Her hair was a light shade of gray, tied up in two buns.   
  
The moment you saw her, it felt like your heart had stopped. What was she doing in the middle of the road? She could get herself killed!   
  
You slammed on the breaks as hard as you could. She stood completely still, looking out into the distance. But as you got closer, your headlights shining onto her, she looked right at you and screamed. It was a loud, echoing sound as your car slowed to a halt. You shut your eyes, bracing for impact, but it never came.    
  
You opened your eyes. The mysterious woman was nowhere to be seen. Did she run away just in time? That’s what it looked like.   
  
”Oh thank goodness...” you muttered out loud, sighing in relief. But that scream, you had never heard such a haunting noise in your entire life.   
  
Even getting a quick glimpse of her face, you couldn’t get the image out of your mind. You were starting to feel lucky that there weren’t any other cars on the road.   
  
The whole incident caused Bendy to wake up from his nap. Feeling a little bad, you apologized and pet him a few times.   
  
Still parked, you stopped to take a deep breath. That really took some energy from you. But you were thankful that nothing bad happened. Then you remembered that you still needed to find a way home.    
  
Attempting to shake off any lingering thoughts about what just happened, you continued driving.   


* * *

As the night went on, you found yourself still driving down what seemed to be an endless highway, your only company being your cat and the moon that shone in the sky. It was unusually bright, but it calmed you a little. At least you had the beautiful view.   
  
However, that calmness ended when you realized you were both hungry and out of gas. And with nothing in sight, you worried you would break down.   
  
Suddenly, as if your prayers were answered, you saw a solitary gas station in the distance. You almost cried tears of joy on the spot!   
  
Making your way to the station, you parked your car in front one of the gas pumps. It was self service, but you were able to fill your car with ease. Now you needed food, so after you were done, you walked into the store.   
  


* * *

The moment you walked in, you began to realize you felt like you did back at the rest stop. There was no one there, and there was a strange mood in the air.   
  
You looked around, trying to find someone.   
  
”Hello!” a voice greeted. You jumped.   
  
”Ah! You scared me.” you replied. Turning around, you saw a short woman with pale skin and short blue hair. Unlike the other girl you saw at the rest stop, her outfit was a bit more formal looking, wearing a neat blue shirt and black skirt, which was strange for someone working at a gas station. She even wore a black ribbon in her hair. You also noticed that her eyes were unusually blue.   
  
”How may I help you?” she asked. Her voice was rather high pitched, and you could hear an English accent.   
  
”Oh, I’m just browsing.” you told her.    
  
She smiled. ”Well, if you need anything, feel free to let me know.”   
  
”Thank you.” you said. The girl walked over to the front desk.    
  
You walked through the aisles, trying to find something you liked. Oddly enough, you couldn’t help but feel that girl watching you from the desk. She seemed very friendly, but something was odd about her, too.   
  
Finding a bag of chips, you walked back over to the register.   
  
”Find what you were looking for?” she asked.   
  
”Yes.” you stated. As she rung up your chips, you pulled out your wallet and opened it.   
  
”I haven’t seen you before.” she told you.    
  
”I’m from a few towns over. I ended up getting lost, so I have no idea where I am.” you revealed, hoping she might be able to help you out.   
  
”I can tell.” she responded, typing the numbers into the register. ”No offense, but you stand out a bit.”   
  
”I do?”   
  
”Well, yes.” she replied. ”Your clothes are a bit strange.” She looked at you, almost studying your appearance. ”You’re quite pretty, though.”   
  
You blushed. ”Thank you...”   
  
”What’s your name?” the girl asked.   
  
”My name? It’s _.” you told her.   
  
After you said that, you could have sworn you saw a slight grin in her smile. You started to wonder if that was a good idea. ”_... it’s a beautiful name...”   
  
”Oh, well uh... I’m glad you like it.” You opened up your wallet about to pay for the chips when the cashier frowned.   
  
”We don’t use that kind of money here, _.”    
  
”What?” you said out loud. How far from home were you? It’s not like you lived near any international borders. Even then, you probably would have noticed. ”All I have are U.S. dollars...”   
  
”We use a different kind of currency around here...” she explained, taking your hand and holding it in hers. Just then, you started to notice the light slowly flickering above you. ”You already paid for it, anyway.”   
  
”What do you mean?” you slowly backed away, pulling your hand from her grip.   
  
”It doesn’t matter. You’ve already given me what I needed.” you felt a chill run down your spine. You didn’t give her anything, so what was she even talking about? She began to walk towards you, handing you the chips. ”You can take the chips.”   
  
”On second thought, you can have it back.” you said. You were starting to feel scared.   
  
”No refunds, _...” she sang. You felt the lights flicker more intensely, and even the ground shook a little.   
  
You had to get out of here, fast. Without saying another word, you ran out the door.   


* * *

  
Hightailing it out of there and getting to your car as quickly as possible, you started the car and began driving away.    
  
“Alright, Bend-o.” you said. “We’re getting out of here.”   
  
You knew there was something wrong with this place! That girl didn’t even seem human. Whoever she was, it didn’t matter. You were already getting farther away.   
  
It did feel a bit rude to just run out like that, but it wasn’t like you were going to see her again, so you didn’t feel as bad. Now your one and only goal was to get home as soon as possible.   
  
No matter where you drove, you could seem to escape the never ending highways and exits. It felt like you were never going to get home.   
  
Suddenly, if it were a miracle, you started to see familiar road signs. Your body filled with joy, you found your way home after all!    
  
You followed the road signs as carefully as you could, making sure you wouldn’t get lost again. Before you knew it, you found yourself driving down your street.    
  
Pulling into the driveway, you parked your car, picked up Bendy, and ran inside.   
  


* * *

  
When you stepped inside, you were greeted with the familiar setting of your house. You put Bendy down and he ran straight towards your room.   
  
The first thing you wanted to do after everything that had happened was to go to bed. You were tired beyond belief and it was finally time for you to relax. Bendy sat in front of the door waiting for you. Picking him up, you opened the door.   
  
Walking into your room, you were completely shocked. Sitting next to each other on the bed was both of the girls you had encountered earlier. The blue-haired girl was holding a bag of chips.   
  
”You forgot your chips,” she said with a smirk.   
  
”How... how...” you stuttered. How was this even possible? There’s no way they could have followed you home. ”How did you get into my house?”   
  
”This isn’t your house...” you heard a soft voice coming from behind you. Turning around, you saw the mysterious woman you almost ran over earlier. She looked just like she did before, but this time you noticed her eyes. One was gray, and the other didn’t have a pupil at all.   
  
”What is going on here?!” you shouted. Fear swept through you as you tried to understand what was happening.   
  
”Don’t be afraid...” she told you. She grabbed your hand. ”That’s a pretty bracelet, may I have it?”

  
”It was rather rude of you to run off like that, you know.” the blue-haired girl criticized. ”You should really take into consideration how the other person might feel. But I forgive you anyway since you’re cute.” She giggled. ”Anyway, I’m pretty sure we don’t need these disguises anymore.” Suddenly, the girl began to glow.   
  
Blue wings manifested from behind her, and her working uniform was replaced with a blue dress. A teardrop tattoo also appeared on her right cheek. ”Ah, much better.” She took the black ribbon that was in her hair and removed it, turning it into a wand.   
  
”You’re a...” you stammered. ”Some sort of fairy?”   
  
”You guessed it!” she giggled.   
  
”I thought they weren’t real...” you said.    
  
”They’re real, alright.” the other girl from the rest stop added. ”And so are we.” You didn’t notice, but the other girl also changed. She now wore a red crop top and black shorts. Not only that, but she had red horns and tail, as well as little pointy black wings, like some sort of demon. She began to float towards you. ”Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve even seen a human! Isn’t that right, Aqua?”   
  
“It’s been too long, Navy.” Aqua replied. “Ever since we were banished here.”   
  
”What is here?!” you asked. For some reason you couldn’t stop shaking.   
  
Navy got down and stood in the middle of the room. She stomped the floor as hard as she could, and the room magically dissolved to reveal another room, this one slightly bigger and much more elaborate.    
  
A large canopy bed sat in one corner of the room, along with a couple of couches. On the other side was a bookshelf filled with books, and a closet - who knows what was in it. Somewhere in the room was a lit fireplace. Navy sat down on one of the couches, kicking her feet up on a footstool. Bendy lept from your arms and into Navy’s lap, purring.   
  
You could tell it was all so fancy, but why were you even here?    
  
“Ah, _, _, _.” the fairy giggled. “I really meant it when I said it was a gorgeous name. I’m so glad you told me.”   
  
”I think we got a good deal over here.” Navy said, petting the cat. ”Not only did we get a human, but a cute little pet too! I think he likes me!” Bendy began to purr as he seemed to enjoy the attention. ”We should make him a playground.”   
  
“Why did you bring me here?” you asked.    
  
Aqua giggled. “Well, _.” She floated down to your level, lifting your chin up with her wand so you looked directly at her. “Navy, Whitty and I have been stuck here for a very long time. Longer than you have ever been alive.” The latter sentence was emphasized. “Although we love each other very much, sometimes it gets lonely with just the three of us.”   
  
“So Aqua, with a little help from me, of course, used as much of our magic as we possibly could to temporarily enter the human world and take a human to bring back here with us!” Navy exclaimed. “You just happened to be there at the right time, so you ended up in our world.”   
  
“What about you?” you asked, looking towards the tall pale woman, who’s name was apparently Whitty. “What are you supposed to be?”   
  
”Whitty’s a ghost.” Navy explained. ”And a beautiful one at that, too.”   
  
Whitty blushed. ”Oh, stop...”   
  
“Well, can you please take me back? I wanna go home!” you yelled. The three of them laughed, giving you chills.   
  
“We can’t! You can enter but you can’t get out!” Aqua laughed.   
  
“You’re stuck with us forever, dear.” Navy added. “You and your pretty little kitty.”   
  
“This... this can’t be...” you replied. The realization began to hit you like a truck. If you had stayed home today instead of running away from your problems, you wouldn’t have ended up in this place with these people, never able to go home again. Tears started falling down you face. “Forever?”   
  
“Don’t cry, it’s really not that bad here...” Whitty assured you, wrapping her arms around your shoulders from behind. Her touch felt surprisingly nice. ”At least you have your cat...”   
  
Navy got up from the couch and floated towards you. “We’ll be nice...” she told you. “And we’ll be able to give you whatever you want, too.”    
  
”Besides, I can tell you’ve been hurt recently.” Aqua commented, putting a hand on your cheek. ”Hurt really bad.”   
  
”We won’t do that to you...” Whitty said, wiping a tear from your eye.   
  
The three of them surrounded you and Navy gave you a hug. ”We’ll make sure you never hurt again if you stay here with us.”   
  
”I thought you said I didn’t have a choice.” you replied.   
  
”You don’t.” Aqua confirmed. ”We’re just trying to make you feel better.”    
  
”I don’t know... this could be a trick. What do you really want from me?” you questioned. Something about this didn’t add up. Why would a fairy, a demon, and a ghost bring you here?   
  
”Oh, _~” Navy sang, floating right next to you. “What’s so wrong about wanting a little company, hm? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of us...”   
  
”I’m not it’s just... I...”    
  
“Our intentions can be pure if we want them to be.” Navy continued. “We can have a lot of fun together.”   
  
“I’m afraid to find out what your definition of fun is.” you replied.   
  
You felt Whitty turn you around. ”There’s no reason to be afraid... we genuinely mean no harm to you...” She placed an arm around your waist and put another hand on your head. Something about the way she held you felt comforting. ”It took a lot for us to get you here, and all we have is each other...”    
  
”But the four of us stuck in this room together for all of eternity?”   
  
”Actually it’s ten rooms.” Aqua corrected. ”This place is bigger than you think.”    
  
”But still...”   
  
”Come on,_... I promise we’ll have lots of fun together. It’ll be like a little party.” Navy reassured. ”Maybe in a hundred years or so we can grab another friend. Ooh! Or a few more cats!”   
  
You thought about it. There was really nowhere to go. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad after all. ”Alright, I’ll stay.”   
  
The three of them cheered and Whitty gave you a quick kiss on the cheek.    
  
”But please, I need to sleep.” you told them. ”It’s been a long day.”    
  
”Oh, that’s right.” Aqua replied. ”You humans need sleep, don’t you? Not that you’ll be human for much longer, anyway.”   
  
”What?”   
  
”Don’t worry, that is a discussion for later. Go ahead and sleep as long as you like.” she said, putting her wand back in her hair.   
  
You sighed a breath of relief as you walked to the bed and laid down, Bendy sitting himself next to you. The bed was soft and warm.   
  
Life was about to change. You weren’t really sure what would happen in your new future with these three... individuals. There was still something about them, and this place, that didn’t sit right with you. Maybe it was just instinct. But you hoped they would be true to their word.    
  
For now, all you could do was drift off into a calming sleep...   
  
  
  
  



End file.
